The best multiplayer Xbox One games

Gears 5 is the best Gears of War game in a while, fully taking advantage of Xbox One and Xbox One X to deliver beautiful visuals and multiple open-world sections in the campaign. Given the last few Gears of War games, it’s tempting to jump right into the multiplayer modes, ignoring the story entirely. Gears 5 has a campaign worth experiencing, though. It supports co-op with up to three other players, no matter if they’re online or sitting next to you. That’s not to detract from Gears 5′s excellent multiplayer, just to supplement it. The standard multiplayer game modes are present, from an Arcade quickplay playlist to ranked team deathmatch. Gears 5 stands out with its Horde and Escape modes. Horde has been around since Gears of War 2, and it’s just as good in Gears 5. Survive 50 waves of enemies with up to four friends, and victory is yours. Escape mode is new to the series. It’s a three-player cooperative mode where your squad must escape a Locust hive before a Venom Bomb explodes. Escape is a lot different than Horde, with scarce resources and an overwhelming number of foes. Half the battle is knowing when it’s correct to shoot and when it’s correct to run.

Red Dead Online is the multiplayer portion of Red Dead Redemption II, which currently tops our list of the best games on Xbox Game Pass. That’s why we’re including it. If you prefer a more modern take, Grand Theft Auto Online is just as interesting. Like GTA Online, Red Dead Online is just Red Dead Redemption II with friends. Instead of playing as Arthur Morgan, you can create your own character, tackling quests and bounties in the Wild West with your own customized group of outlaws. It’s not just a loose, tacked-on multiplayer mode. Red Dead Online has a story of its own. Set a year before Red Dead Redemption II, you play as a silent protagonist recently broken out of prison by a group of bandits. If you prefer a more open approach, Red Dead Online has a slew of activities outside of the main story, from taking on bounties with a posse to going toe to toe with other players in the Showdown Series.

Divinity: Original Sin II is an old-fashioned, isometric RPG, and it’s great. If you’re looking for deep lore, tactical combat, and nearly endless story opportunities, Divinity: Original Sin II is for you. If you want a lot of action and don’t care much for digging through dialogue trees, there are better options on this list. Divinity: Original Sin II isn’t a game for everyone. For the players who enjoy this style of game, though, there’s nothing quite like it. It’s an excellent single-player experience, but to get the most out of Divinity: Original Sin II, it’s best to take three friends along for the journey. You play as a Sourcerer, someone who can cultivate Source to cast spells. Rivellon, where all of the Divinity games take place, is under attack by the Voidwoken, attracted to the power of Source. To fend off the invasion, The Divine Order starts persecuting Sourcerers, outfitting magic users with a collar that mutes their Source powers. Your journey begins on a ship stuffed to the brim with Source-muted characters on their way to Fort Joy, where the Divine Order purges Sourcerers of their Source. All of this happens in the first 45 minutes of the game, and there are another 50 or so hours dedicated to just the main quest. Divinity: Original Sin II is a journey, and if you’re at all interested in RPGs, it’s a journey you and your friends should take.